Nanashi
Nanashi was a samurai of a daimyo in Sengoku-era Japan, until, after one battle he was ordered to kill two children, presumably heirs to the defeated lord. Nanashi killed the children, but deeply regretted it, becoming a traveling rōnin and leaving his katana tied in its sheath. After encountering a child and his dog who were hiding for an unknown party searching for them, Nanashi and the child, Kotaro were attacked by several enemies. Nanashi and Kotaro's dog, Tobimaru, defeated the attackers, Nanashi fighting them with his sword still in its sheath. The dog, Tobimaru, is wounded by a poisoned throwing knife, and Nanashi agrees to give Kotaro a ride to town. After getting medicine to help the dog, Nanashi discovers Kotaro is being hunted by a Japanese daimyo working with a group of Ming Dynasty Chinese seeking to ritually murder the child and use his blood as an ingredient in an elixir of immortality. Nanashi is separated from Kotaro and he captured by the daimyo and the Ming forces, however, Nanashi fights his way through a battle between the Ming and a rival daimyo also seeking the child, finally drawing his sword and fighting his way through anyone who gets between him and the altar where Kotaro is to be sacrificed, including a master scythe-wielder and a highly skilled Western mercenary in the employ of the Ming, before finally rescuing Kotaro. Battle vs. Onigafuchi Village (by SPARTAN 119) Nanashi walked along a narrow path in the middle of the woods, on the side of a mountain overlooking a village along a river in the valley. Up ahead, the ronin spotted a the flickering light of numerous torches. As he got closer, Nanashi realized it was a Shinto shrine, with a number of people attending what looked like some sort of ceremony. Something, however, didn't seem right. Nanashi thought he heard the groans of a wounded man amidst the sounds of the chanting and taiko drums of the ceremony. Nanashi walked into the forest and walked closer, moving from tree to tree until he got a good view of the crowd and the cermony. On a stage at the front of the temple, there stood a group of Shinto priests and shrine maidens. The priests all had demonic-looking masks on. Then, Nanashi saw what was in the middle of the group: A bound man, with blood flowing down from his hands. It looked like nails had been driven into his fingers. Nanashi looked on in horror, moving his hand down to the handle of his katana, ready to draw the blade if he was discovered. The Shinto priest spoke: "Oyashiro-sama, we offer this sacrifice to you so that you may bless this village and ensure peace." The priest the drew a katana and made a gash across the man's lower torso. A shrine maiden then advanced to with a tool similar to a hoe, only ornately decorated. The shrine maiden then brought the hoe down on the victim's torso. The sacrificial victim let out a blood curdling scream as the shrine maiden tore out the victim's intestines. Nanashi drew his sword fully. These people in this village, who practiced this horrific corruption of Shinto beliefs were dangerous. There was not doubt of that. The priest of the shrine noticed the torchlight reflected off Nanashi's blade and turned to towards him and said. "An outsider has dared set foot on the forbidden land of the village of Onigafuchi", the priest said, "Kill him in accordance with the laws given to us by Oyashiro-sama" The priest raised his katana and the shrine maiden the ceremonial hoe menacingly, while about 20 villagers armed themselves with axes, scythes, knives and any other improvised weapons they could find and ran at Nanashi. The Shinto priest made it their first, swing his katana in a wide slashing arc. Nanashi jumped backwards, avoiding the blade, and made a diagonal slice at his attacker. The priest in the mask blocked the blow with his sword. He clearly had some experience, but he was no warrior That was made obvious as the shrine maiden armed with the ceremonial hoe swung her weapon at Nanashi's side, only for Nanashi to take his sheath in his other hand and block the attack. Nanashi sidestepped as second attack by the sword-toting priest and thrust his katana through his back, killing the priest who appeared to be the ring leader of this human-sacrificing cult. Nanashi then responded to an attack by the shrine maiden by slicing straight through the ceremonial hoe and into her torso, taking out another participant in the grotesque ceremony. (18 Onigafuchi villagers remaining) The rest of the Onigafuchi villagers were not pleased with the recent turn of events. They charged in with assorted improvised melee weapons. Nanashi drew a black powder grenades he had captured from the Ming and lit it using a torch along the path, before tossing it into the incoming horde. The grenade exploded, killing two of the Onigafuchi villagers and stunning a couple more. Nanashi retreated into the woods on the slope of the mountains surrounding Onigafuchi, and turned, sword at the ready to face his attackers from a height advantage. An Onigafuchi villager armed with a nata swung the weapon at Nanashi, only for the ronin to dodge his attack by jumping to the side. Nanashi's foot hit a rock, causing him to slide down the slope for a few feet. Thinking quickly, Nanashi stuck his sword out as he slid down hill, slashing the Onigafuchi villager's throat. Nanashi grabbed the villager's nata and threw it at another of his attackers, the machete-like blade embedding itself in the Onigafuchi villager's forehead, killing him instantly. (14 Onigafuchi villagers remaining) Two more Onigafuchi villagers came at Nanashi, one armed with an axe, the other a hammer. The attacker with the axe made a horizontal swing, which Nanashi dodged, but it put him dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. The axeman raised his weapon over his head for a powerful vertical strike, but Nanashi thrust his blade forward, into his attacker's chest. Nanashi pulled his katana out of his fallen attacker and focused on the other Onigafuchi villager, who carried a hammer. The hammer-wielder swung at Nanashi, only for Nanashi to dodge and strike back, killing him with a slash going into his torso. However, as Nanashi attacked, he slipped off the cliff. Thankfully, Nanashi grabbed onto a tree growing up over the roughly fifty-foot cliff. Nanashi climbed down from the tree to about twelve feet above the ground, when he realized he was surrounded by a mob of Onigafuchians. "Nigeranai"- "You cannot escape", one of them shouted, wielding a scythe menacingly. Nanashi jumped down from the tree and swung his katana, decapitating the man with the scythe, before turning the face the rest of the mob. Nanashi landed on his knees, as a pair of Onigafuchians rounded on him with axes. Nanashi swung his sword, catching one of the Onigafuchians in the leg, dropping him to the ground, before Nanashi got up and stabbed him through the back. (8 Onigafuchi Villagers remaining) An Onigafuchi villager with a scythe rounded on Nanashi, slashing at him. The scythe-wielder missed, but the scythe hooked Nanashi's sword out of his hand. Nanashi drew a Chinese Dao he had taken during his battle with the Ming and slashed the scythe-wielder's throat, before slicing into the head of another Onigafuchian with a hammer, splitting his skull. Nanashi picked up his katana with his other hand and sliced with both swords, each in an opposite direction, killing two more of his assailants in a spray of blood. (4 Onigafuchi Villagers remaining) The four survivors of the angry mob raised their weapons and charged at Nanashi, each from a different direction. Nanashi ducked an axe strike and slashed with his dao, cutting into the axeman's chest. The Onigafuchian with the axe fell as Nanashi turned to face the last three villagers, swords in both hands. Nanashi threw the dao at one of the attacker, who carried a scythe, lodging the blade in his neck and dropping him to the ground, before sidestepping an attacker with thrust at him with a knife and making a powerful two-handed strike that severed his attacker's arm and went into the torso far enough to kill him instantly. The final attacker came after Nanashi with an axe in hand. Only for Nanashi to pull his katana out of the dead body of his last attacker and thrust his sword the enemies' chest. The Onigafuchian fell to the ground as Nanashi retrieved his dao from the dead body and walked away from the scene of carnage, wanting to leave this village of horrors as quickly as possible. (0 Onigafuchi Villagers remaining) WINNER: Nanashi Experts Opinion Nanashi won this match because of his greater combat training, skill, agility, and his experience in fighting multiple opponents at once, as well as his superior weapons. This gave Nanashi the win in spite of the Onigafuchi Villager's superior numbers. To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Battle vs. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (by SPARTAN 119) Altair stood in a trees above the road through a dense forest in Japan, having come to eliminate a samurai in league with the Templars, planning to facilitate a coming Chinese invasion. The man walked directly underneath the tree. That was when Altair decided to strike. Nanashi heard a the sound of rustling leaves in a tree and looked up, just in time to see a man in a hood fall from the tree tops, with some sort of dagger sticking out of his wrist. Nanashi dodged the strike and drew his katana and, in one fluid movement, made an upward slash at Altair The Assassin only barely managed to draw his short blade and block the ronin's strike. Nanashi jumped backwards, evading a thrust from Altair's dagger, and retaliated with a slash that would have taken off Altair's head- if the assassin hadn't faded from sight at that very moment. Suddenly, Nanashi felt a blade nick his side. He turned his head, immediately spotting its source. Altair had jumped onto a tree branch a short distance away. Nanashi drew the dao he had captured from the Ming and hurled it at Altair. The assassin jumped to another tree, evading the thrown sword, which embedded itself in a tree trunk. Altair drew his Syrian Sabre and lunged at Nanashi, slashing at him as he jumped. Nanashi blocked the blow with his katana, but the force was such that the sword was knocked out of his his hand, and he was knocked backwards, onto the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Altair released his hidden blade and thrusted downwards at Nanashi. Lacking any other options, Nanashi put his hand in the way of the blade, which pierced the palm of his hand. "AAAGH", Nanashi yelled as the assassin did something unexpected. He retracted his blade and looked into Nanashi's face. "You... you are not the man I seek", Altair said, as Nanashi clutched his hand in pain. "Who... are you?", Nanashi asked, surprised the foreigner could speak Japanese. "My name is Altair Ibn 'La Ahad. I have been sent here from far to the west to eliminate a warlord in league with a Chinese invader.", Altair replied. "I am Nanashi, a travelling ronin. I have fought these invaders before. I fear they already have agents in this country. I can take you to their base." "Very well then", Altair said, offering Nanashi his hand, "Can you still use that hand?". "This?" Nanashi said as he tore off a piece of his clothing to act as a tourniquet, "I've had a lot worse. I've had a sword run straight through my arm, and I was shot with a one of those new "firearms" right in the chest". "Then, let us make haste", Altair said, handing Nanashi back his katana, "I suspect you will need this." WINNER: Altair Ibn La'Ahad Expert's Opinion Altair won this battle because of his superior training, and agility. This allowed him to overcome and disable his opponent, however, it was a close match, as seen by the fact Nanashi survived, but not without injury. To see the original weapons, battle, and votes, click here. 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